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1、傲慢与偏见中主要人物分析Analysis of Key Characters in Pride and PrejudiceContentsAbstract.1Key words.1I. Social Background.1II. Introduction to the Author. 3III. General Introduction to the Novel.4IV. Analysis of the Main Characters.54.1 Elizabeth Bennet.54.2 Mr. Darcy.84.3 Jane Bennet and Charles Bingley.94.4
2、Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Bennet.10V. Conclusion.11Reference.12Analysis of Key Characters in Pride and Prejudice摘要： 简奥斯丁的傲慢与偏见写于1813年，一直以来很受欢迎，并被广泛阅读。这部作品谈论生活在英国十八世纪的绅士和美丽的女士的爱情，婚姻和家庭生活。故事情节简单。讲述了年轻的女士如何去挑选丈夫。小说的主人公，本奈特伊莉莎白反对她父亲的继承人威廉科林斯的提议并拒绝富有的绅士菲茨威廉达西, 这篇论文主要谈的是傲慢与偏见中的女主人公伊丽莎白班纳特的性格刻画。论文的主要部分先是通过可展示女主人
3、公性格特征的正反两方面来体现的。紧接着通过两个视角讽刺和婚姻观使女主人公的性格得到评析。关键词: 傲慢 偏见 人物性格 奥斯丁 社会背景 婚姻Abstract: Pride and prejudice is a very popular novel written by Jane Austen and it is read widely all over the world. It was written in 1813. It talks about trivial matters of love, marriage and family life between country squir
4、es and fair ladies in Britain in the 18th century. The plot is very simple. That is how the young ladies choose their husbands. Elizabeth Bennet, the protagonist of the novel, flatly rejected William Collins proposal, which is the heir of her fathers property and manor, and refused the first proposa
5、l from the extremely wealthy nobleman Fitzwilliam Darcy. This thesis is mainly about the depiction of the character of the heroine Elizabeth Bennet in “Pride and Prejudice”. The main body of the thesis is presented firstly through the contrast aspects, which show the heroines character. Then from tw
6、o points of view-irony and marriage, the heroines character is analyzed and evaluated. Key words: Pride prejudice Austen Social background marriageI. Social backgroundThe story of Pride and prejudice took place in the time of the regency in Britain. At that time, Britain was at the period of transit
7、ion from the earlier stage of Capitalism-to-Capitalism Industrialization. In the countryside, the aristocratic family still held great power and right that country squires were likely to fawn upon them. However as the development of Capitalism and the expand of the rank of rich people, the distincti
8、on between social strata was becoming smaller and smaller, while money was getting more and more important in peoples mind about social value. A western literature critic once said “even David Ricardo (a British economist) had an unlikely clearer understanding about the function of money in daily li
9、fe as Jane Austen had.” It is exactly because of the secure pledge in finance that the country squire society could exist strongly and solidly.The story depicts a society in the process of a dramatic social transition. The power, wealth and privilege of the old aristocracy is gradually giving way to
10、 the rising social status and power of the business class. Untitled, unpropertied aristocrats are going into business and bourgeois men of ambition such as Lucas are acquiring titles. The old aristocracy symbolized by Lady Catherine de Bourgh, which has been resting on its oars, lacks the fresh vita
11、lity and initiative needed for social progress. The central theme of the story reflects all the major attributes of evolutionary social development described as they express through the institution of marriage. Marriage is an instrument for social evolution in this society because the society is sti
12、ll physical. It still defines privilege and power primarily based on land, birth, and blood relation. In the coming era, money becomes the dominant instrument in a society that is dynamically vital. Today education and technology eradicate social barriers and reward individual capacity in a society
13、that is increasingly mental in character.Each of the four marriages that occur in the story involves a social elevation that is characteristic of the evolutionary process. Elizabeth, the daughter of an aristocratic gentleman and middle class woman, rises by marriage into one of the wealthiest aristo
14、cratic families in England. Her sister Jane marries a man whose wealth is twenty-times greater than her own. Even the scoundrel Wickham, the steward son, who would have been outcaste or murdered for his effrontery in a previous age, not only marries a gentleman daughter but also becomes brother-in-l
15、aw to his father former master. Moreover, by a strange course of events, the servile Mr. Collins becomes related through marriage to his august patroness, Lady Catherine.These events symbolize not just movement between the classes but a profound shift in social values as well. The collective is beco
16、ming individualized. Social conformity is giving way to formed individuality. Elizabeth rises in spite of her mother family background because she is a developed individual personality who values character more than wealth or status. It is this trait that surprises and attracts Darcy, and makes him
17、fall in love with the light in her eyes. Society nurtures and applauds Eliza individual development rather than frowning on or preventing it. Society is shown in the process of redistributing the fruits of social status by a new set of criteria to a wider class of its members. Mrs. Bennet and her re
18、lations have already acquired aristocratic status through her marriage to Mr. Bennet and that status is about to rise enormously through the marriages of her two elder daughters. By Eliza marriage, the lower level of the aristocracy, which has strong links with the business community, unites with th
19、e highest level of the aristocracy. In France, this intermixture of the classes did not happen, so the only way the society could develop was to eradicate the aristocracy, cut off their heads, chase them out of the country, and distribute their land, money and titles to the new class that rose to po
20、wer. The French aristocracy was too rigid and orthodox; too unwilling to compromise and share its power, so it lost it. II. Introduction to the AuthorJane Austens Pride and Prejudice had a long and varied life before it finally saw publication on January 28, 1813. Austen began the book, originally t
21、itled First Impressions, in 1796. Her father submitted it to a London publisher the following year, but the manuscript was rejected. Austen continued to work on the book, and scholars report that the story remained a favorite with the close circle of friends, relations, and acquaintances she took in
22、to her confidence. She probably continued working on First Impressions after her family relocated to Bath in 1801 and did not stop revising and rewriting until after the deaths of both her father and a close friend in 1805. After this point Austen seems to have given up writing for almost five years
23、. She had resumed work on the book by 1811, scholars report, and the final product appeared anonymously in London bookstalls early in 1813. The critical history of Pride and Prejudice was just as varied as the evolution of the novel itself. At the time the novel was published in the early nineteenth
24、 century, most respected critical opinion was strongly biased against novels and novelists. Although only three contemporary reviews of Pride and Prejudice are known to exist, they are all remarkably complimentary. Anonymous articles in the British Critic and the Critical Review praised the authors
25、characterization and her portrayal of domestic life. Additional early commentary exists in the diaries and letters of such prominent contemporary readers as Mary Russell Mitford and Henry Crabb Robinson, both of whom admired the works characters, realism, and freedom from the trappings of Gothic fic
26、tion. After this period, however, criticism of Pride and Prejudice, and of Austens works as a whole, largely disappeared. With the exception of two posthumous appreciations of Austens work as a whole by Sir Walter Scott and Archbishop Richard Whateley, very little Austen criticism appeared until 187
27、0. In 1870, James Edward Austen-Leigh, son of Jane Austens brother James, published A Memoir of Jane Austen, by Her Nephew. This biography was the first major study of Austen as a person and as an artist, and it marked the beginning of a new era in Austen criticism. Although most critics no longer a
28、ccept its conclusion that Austen was an “amateur genius” whose works were largely unconscious productions of her fertile imagination, it nonetheless performed a valuable service by bringing Austen and her works back into critical attention, Modem critical opinion of Austen began with the publication
29、 in 1939 of Mary Lascelless Jane Austen and Her Art, which escaped from the Victorian portrait of Austen put forth by Austen-Leigh.III. General Introduction to the NovelThe story of the novel Pride and Prejudice is set in England where the worth of a man is his wealth, and that of a woman her man. N
30、o wonder, marriage is the ultimate aspiration for a girl and her family, especially in the middle class.This is the note on which the novel opens, with the heroines mother Mrs. Bennet, planning to introduce her five daughters to two newly arrived young, handsome and rich (read most eligible) bachelo
31、rs, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley. The bachelors introduction to the Bennets and their five daughters Jane, Elizabeth, Mary Catherine (Kitty) and Lydia begins the subtle drama that forms the whole theme of the novel. Mr. Bingley, much more agreeable than his friend Mr. Darcy, takes a liking to the milde
32、st and prettiest miss Bennet, Jane, and she reciprocates his feelings. However, Mr. Darcy, who is an arrogant class-conscious gentleman, derides the match and thus gains the contempt of Janes outspoken sister Elizabeth. Gradually, the character sketch of the protagonists unfolds in the story during
33、various interactions between them in homely get-togethers. Since Elizabeth is a sharp and sensible girl, who would rather speak out her mind than maintain a coy demeanor, she makes her dislike of Mr. Darcy quite clear to him at times, which quite unexpectedly, fascinates him and draws him more towar
34、ds her, although he does not admit it. There is an element of liking for Mr. Darcy in Elizabeth too, even though she does not realize it till late. Apparently both are quite disagreeable to each other, but the undercurrent of silent attraction that develops, finally triumphs over the misunderstandin
35、gs and temporary separations that come their way due to various twists and turns of the plot brought about by the events occurring in the lives of their friends and family. The romance between the second important pair, Mr. Bingley and Jane runs parallel in the story, reaching a crest and then a tro
36、ugh, before getting resolved in the end. The eccentricities of characters like the superficial Mrs. Bennet and her frivolous daughter Lydia, apart from the many suitors who make an appearance in the five miss Bennets lives, add charm to the story and propel it forward. So does the fact that Mr. Darc
37、ys pride in his status checks his love for Elizabeth, while her prejudice against Mr. Darcy, formed mainly by a series of misunderstandings, stop her from reciprocating his love. While some aspects of the novel may seem outdated in modern world, its mockery of class differences and celebration of br
38、ains over beauty, still holds relevance. Like the author Jane Austens other famous work, Sense and Sensibility this novel too gives more importance to the intellect of the heroine rather than her beauty, and applauds her spunk to sneer at people who have superiority over her in class, plus the tende
39、ncy to display it.Pride and Prejudice is an interesting read, if not for its plot then for the terse and witty exchange of dialogues between its characters. Besides, the romantic nature of the story also holds an everlasting appeal, making it a classic read.IV. Analysis of the Main Characters4.1 Eli
40、zabeth Bennet Elizabeth Bennet is the second of the five daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. Elizabeth is the most logical and level-headed of the Bennet daughters, and that makes her fathers favorite. Although Elizabeth is thoughtful, intelligent, and practical, she comes to realize that she is just
41、as capable of letting her own feelings get in the way of her good sense as her feather-brained sisters. Elizabeth realizes her grave mistake when she understands that she has greatly misjudged both Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham.The second daughter in the Bennet family, and the most intelligent and quick
42、-witted, Elizabeth is the protagonist of Pride and Prejudice and one of the most well-known female characters in English literature. Her admirable qualities are numerousshe is lovely, clever, and, in a novel defined by dialogue, she converses as brilliantly as anyone. Her honesty, virtue, and lively
43、 wit enable her to rise above the nonsense and bad behavior that pervade her class-bound and often spiteful society. Nevertheless, her sharp tongue and tendency to make hasty judgments often lead her astray; Pride and Prejudice is essentially the story of how she (and her true love, Darcy) overcome
44、all obstaclesincluding their own personal failingsto find romantic happiness. Elizabeth must not only cope with a hopeless mother, a distant father, two badly behaved younger siblings, and several snobbish, antagonizing females, she must also overcome her own mistaken impressions of Darcy, which ini
45、tially lead her to reject his proposals of marriage. Her charms are sufficient to keep him interested, fortunately, while she navigates familial and social turmoil. As she gradually comes to recognize the nobility of Darcys character, she realizes the error of her initial prejudice against him.Since
46、 Elizabeth is a sharp and sensible girl, who would rather speak out her mind than maintain a coy demeanor, she makes her dislike of Mr. Darcy quite clear to him at times, which quite unexpectedly, fascinates him and draws him more towards her, although he does not admit it. There is an element of li
47、king for Mr. Darcy in Elizabeth too, even though she does not realize it till late. Apparently both are quite disagreeable to each other, but the undercurrent of silent attraction that develops, finally triumphs over the misunderstandings and temporary separations that come their way due to various
48、twists and turns of the plot brought about by the events occurring in the lives of their friends and family.Elizabeths and Darcys relationship isfilledwithtrialsandtribulations, misjudgments and prejudice, eventually culminating in a blissful union of two complementary souls. Their relationship beginsat an inauspicious starting point when they first meet at the meryton assembly, with both receiving unfavorable first impressions. Elizabeth thinks Darc
